Unit load handling device



United States Patent [2]] -Appl. No.

Inventors Robert L. Propst Ann Arbor;

James 0. Kelley, Saline, Mich. 731,014

May 22, 1968 Dec. 29, 1970 Herman Miller Inc.

Zeeland, Mich.

a corporation of Michigan Filed Patented Assignee UNIT LOAD HANDLINGDEVICE 11 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl

Int. Cl Field of Search 254/2-10;

248/(Inquired); 214/512, 515; 280/4734, 47.37

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1910 Taylor 5/] 923 Drinkwater6/1963 Paruolo Primary Examiner- Robert C. Riordon AssistantExanziner-David R. Melton Attorney-Price, Heneveld, Huizenga & CooperABSTRACT: This disclosure relates to a device for handling unit loadsand is particularly adapted to handle those lockers disclosed in US.Pat. No. 3,241,898. The device comprises a wheeled vehicle having asupporting platform with upstanding side rails forming handle grippingmeans at a front edge. The side rails have a locker retaining flange atan upper rear portion thereof to cooperate with a downwardly extendingslotted flange on the locker to secure the position of the locker on thesupporting platform.

Lifts are provided on the supporting platform to raise the locker to aposition where it can be hung on a wall rail. The lift which is actuatedby a foot pedal is also used in removing lockers from the wall hangingposition.

The device has a sliding handle on a rear portion for pulling thevehicle. The sliding handle is rotatable and slidable on the side railsso as to permit easy removal of the load from the back portion of thedevice.

A train of carts can be made by attaching the foot pedal to a connectinglink which is rotatable relative to the cart from which it extends.

INVENTOR ROBERT L, PROPST JAMES 0, KELLEY ATTORNEY PATENTEBnEc2919m3550.908

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SHEH 3 OF 3 INVENTOR ROBERT L PROPST JAMES 0. KELLEY y yin 66 w ATTORNEY1 UNIT LOAD HANDLING navrc'a unit, which positioning means restrains themovement of the storage units in a direction parallel to the plane ofthe side rails.

In another of its aspects, the invention relates to a unit load handlingdevice as has been hereinbefore described wherein a handle is formed inthe side rails at a front portion thereof.

In another of its aspects the invention relates to a unit load handlingdevice as has been hereinbefore described wherein lifting means areprovided on the platform to raise the storage unit off the supportingsurface onto a wall support for the unit.

In another of its aspects, the invention relates to a unit load handlingdevice in which the device can be connected together to fomi a trainthrough a foot pedal which is horizontally stationary and an arm havinga hook for connecting to the foot pedal wherein the arm is rotatableabout a vehicle axis.

In U.S. Pat. No. 3,241,898, there is disclosed and claimed a method andapparatus for maintaining hospital sterility wherein a plurality ofstorage units are employed. The storage units can be hung on walls andcarts for transporting the units from storage areas to supply or packageunits are provided. The disclosed cart for transporting the storage unitis L- shaped and has a foot bar for tilting the carts for raising an endof the storage units to hang the same on the wall.

Difficulty has been encountered in positioning the storage unitsproperly on the carts and in lifting the storage units from the carts tothe wall hanging position.

I have now discovered an improved cart for handling storage unitswhereinthe cart supports the units, transports the units, has side handles oneither the front and back of the cart for pulling and pushing the cart,has means to prevent the storage unit from moving while on the cartsandhas a means forlifting the storage unit from the carts onto the wallrail.

By various aspects of this invention one or more of the following, orother, objects can be obtained.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved unit loadhandling device which can raise the unit onto a wall hanging rail andremove the unit from said rail without tilting the carts.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved unitload handling device adapted to remove a unit load from a wall hangingposition and insure proper placement of the load on the device.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an improvedload handling device for storage cabinets in which a slidable handle isprovided to pull the device, which handle is so constructed such thatthe load can be removed from the device through the handle endwithoutobstruction from the handle.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an improved loadhandling device for removing unit loads from wall hanging positions andtransporting the same wherein the load is positively engaged and guidedto a proper position on the device.

his a further object of this invention to provide a unit load handlingdevice which can be attached to another similar device so that a trainof such devices can be pulled by a single operator wherein one unit loadwill follow the same path of the preceding device even while the trainis rounding corners.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide linkage for apair of unit load handling devices wherein compensation is automaticallymade for uneveness of floor and inclines.

Other aspects, objects, and the several advantages of this invention areapparent to one skilled in the art from a study of this disclosure, thedrawings, and the appended claims.

Briefly, the invention comprises a cart having a frame with wheelsattached to the frame, a supporting surface on the frame,.side railsextending upwardly from the supporting sitr l faces forming sidesupports for the cart, the side rails having a positioning means for astorage unit, which positioning means restrains the movement of thestorage unit in a direction parallel to the plane of the side rails.Handle means are formed in the side rails at the front position thereof.Further, a slidable handle at the rear portion of the handle is providedto pull the cart when desirable. The handle is so shaped and positionedon the rails that it slides out of the way of the load when it isdesirable to remove the load through the handle end of the cart.

Lifting means, coextensive with the supporting surface, are provided toraise and lower the unit load up to and down from a wall hangingposition.

The invention will now be describedwith reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which;

FIGpl is a perspective view of a load handling device according to theinvention being positioned under a unit load which is hanging on a wall;

. FIG. 2 is a view of the device and unit load shown in FIG. 1 showingthe removal of the load from the wall;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the unit load and load handling deviceshown in FIGS. 1 and 2 from a different perspective;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the unit load handling device withoutthe unit load position thereon;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view partly in section of the device shownin FIG. 4, showing the operation of the lifting platforms in phantom;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view showing the interconnection betweentwo similar carts;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the linkage between the carts shown in FIG.6; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view along lines VIII-VIII of FIG. 7.

Referring now to the drawings a unit lead cabinet 2 having a rear railengaging flange 4 is supported on a wall 6 through a rail 8. The unitload handling device, such as a cart, is positioned beneath the unitload or storage cabinet shown in FIG. 1. The cart comprises a storageplatform 10, apair of rail members 12 extending upwardly from eitherside thereof and forming handle portions 14 at one end thereof. Thedevice has a plurality of wheels 16 which are attached to the frame. Apedal 18 is provided for actuating a pair of liftable platforms 20 whichare normally coextensive with the supporting surface 10. i

When the storage cabinet is to be lifted from the wall position, thecart is placed beneath the same as shown in FIG. 1 and the foot pedal 18is depressed as shown in FIG. 2. The depressing of the foot pedal willraise the platform 20 to engage the bottom portion of the storage unit.The storage unit will be lifted slightly and can then be moved from thewall and onto the cart (see FIG. 2).

The back portion of the rails 12 have slotted flanges 22 for engagingabutments 24 of the storage unit. In this manner, when the storage unit2 is lowered from the wall hanging position between the rails, theabutments 22. will positively engage ,flanges 22 and the upwardlysloping surfaces will cam the abutments 24 into the slot to properlyposition the storage units on the cart. I

A handle 26 is provided on the back portion of the cart for pulling thecart with the unit load attached. As can be best seen in FIGS. 3 and 6,the handle comprises a pair of loops 28 which engage either side railmember 12. The handle is thus slidable upwardly and downwardly on therail. A stop 30 is provided on one or both of the rails to limit theextent of downward movement of the handle on the rails. As can be seenfrom FIG. 3, when in the lowermost position, the rear portion of thecart is free to have the load removed therefrom and the handle does notinterfere with the load removal. Also,

the handle is slidable upwardly as seen in FIG. 6 to provide an adequatehandle for pulling the loaded cart.

The mechanism for actuating the lifting platforms 20 is best seen inFIG. 5. A horizontal bar member 32 is attached to foot pedal 18. Thehorizontal bar member 32 is rigidly attached to a pivot rod 34 which inturn is rotatably supported by flange 35. A frame member 36 supportsflange 34. A pair of actuating members 38 are rigidly attached torotatable bar member 34 and the movement of the pedal is transmittedthrough these members 38 to lift platforms 28. A connecting bar 42 and aflange 40 attaches the lifting platforms 28 to the actuating members 38.

The frame of the device is constructed of four members 36, 37, 39 whichare connected together at tubes like 46 and 48. The front wheels 16a(FIG. are pivotable about their supporting shafts which fit into tube46. The back wheels [6b are not pivotable and have vertical shaftsattached to 50 and positioned within tube 48. Conventional bearings canbe provided for the front wheels 16a to permit them to pivot easily. Thesupporting rails 36, 37, and 39 are attached to the top portion of thetubes 46 and 48.

The supporting platform has downwardly extending flanges at the sidesthereof and is positioned directly on the frame. This supportingplatform is preferably made from a moldable thermoplastic material andcan be easily vacuum formed. The platform is positioned by gaskets 54which are positioned on each tubular member. The gaskets 54 abut againstthe side flanges of the platform and are preferably made of a yieldablerubber material. The gaskets 54 also provide a cushioning effect for thecart in the event that the platform flanges bump up against othersurfaces.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 through 8, the foot pedal 18 has an invertedU-shaped configuration with a pair of downwardly extending flanges 19. Aratchet lock 60 is rotatably supported on the downwardly extendingflanges 19 through a pin 62. The rachet lock has an upwardly extendinglocking edge 64 which normally abuts against a nose 68 beneath the topportion of the foot pedal 18. The inverted U-shaped configuration of thefoot pedal 18 provides a receiving area for a connecting link 76. Thefoot pedal 18 has an inner camrning surface 70 which extends downwardlyand inwardly from the upper top surface of the foot pedal forming nose68 to provide a camming surface for the end of connecting link 76. Whenthe link 76 is inserted into the foot pedal, the end of the link 76 willpush the locking edge 64 of ratchet lock 60 causing a small degree ofrotation of the ratchet lock. An inner surface 74 is provided with footpedal 18 to stop the extent of inward motion of link 76. When the link76 is pulled outwardly, the hook 78 will be retained between nose 68 andratchet lock 60.

When it is desirable to disconnect the two carts, handle release portion66 of ratchet lock 60 is pushed upwardly while the connecting link ispulled from the inner portion of the foot pedal 18.

Connecting link 76 is rotatably supported by pin 80 on frame member 84of the cart. A nut 82 secures the top portion of the pin to the framemember 84. A pair of Belleville springs 86 are positioned between thenut 82 and the frame to provide a small degree of flexibility of theconnector link 76.

The connector link 76 is rotatable about a vertical axis and has a smallamount of flexibility in a vertical direction to permit a small degreeof rotation about a horizontal axis. This flexibility in the verticaldirection permits the linkage to compensate for floor unevenness and forinclines which are quite frequently present, for example, in connectingportions of separate buildings. 1

The downwardly and inwardly extending cam surface 70 of foot pedal 18also permits a certain degree of relative rotation about a horizontalaxis between the foot pedal 18 and connecting link 76 to compensate forfloor unevenness and inclines.

It is to be noted that connecting link 76 is rotatable about a verticalaxis whereas lever 32 connecting foot pedal 18 is stationary relative toa vertical axis. Thus, when a series of carts are connected throughconnecting links wherein a foot pedal of a lead cart is connected to aconnecting link of a second cart, the turning of a corner by the leadcart will cause the other carts in the train to turn the corner at thesame point as the lead cart. Thus, this kind of linkage structurepermits the train to be handled by a single operator, thereby reducinglabor costs.

Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope ofthe foregoing disclosure, the drawings, and the appended claims withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof.

We claim:

1. A unit load handling device comprising a cart having a frame, wheelsattached to said frame, a supporting surface on said frame, side railsextending upwardly from said supporting surface forming side supportsfor said cart, said side rails having a positioning means for a storageunit, which positioning means restrains movement of said storage unit ina direction parallel to the plane of said side rails; and, handle meansextending from a rear portion of said side rails, said handle meansbeing slidable with respect to said side rails, said cart furtherincluding restraining means for limiting the extent of sliding movementof said handle means on said side rails.

2. A unit load handling device adapted to receive, transport anddischarge unit loads, said loads having abutment means at each sidethereof, said device comprising a cart having a frame, wheels attachedto said frame, a supporting surface having two sides attached to saidframe, side rails extending upwardly from each of said two sides of saidsupporting surface forming side supports for said cart, each of saidside rails having a positioning means affixed thereto, said positioningmeans being adapted to engage and disengage said abutment means uponrelative vertical movement of said cart and said load, said positioningmeans engaging said abutment means when said load is resting on saidsupporting surface to restrain movement of said load with respect tosaid cart in a direction parallel to said sides.

3. A unit load handling device according to claim 2 wherein a handle isformed in each side rail at a front portion thereof.

4. A unit load handling device according to claim 1 wherein said handlemeans is so shaped such that when said handle means is in the lowermostposition against said restraining means, the bottom of said handle meansis at least as low as the top of said supporting surface so as to permiteasy removal of a load from the rear portion of said cart.

5. A unit load handling device according to claim 2 wherein liftingmeans are provided on said supporting surface to lift said storage unitupwardly from said positioning means onto a wall support for said unitload.

6. A unit load handling device comprising a cart having a frame, wheelsattached to said frame, a supporting surface on said frame, and liftingmeans coextensive with said supporting surface adapted to raise a loadpositioned on said surface a predetermined amount, said lifting meansincluding a pair of platforms coextensive with said supporting surface,said platforms having depending flanges, said depending flanges beingattached to a pivotable rod which is secured to said frame and pivotableabout a point of attachment to said frame, said pivotable rod havingactuating means extending out from a side of said device for raising andlowering the platform by depressing the actuating means.

7. A unit load handling device comprising a cart having a frame, wheelsattached to said frame, a supporting surface on said frame, and liftingmeans coextensive with said supporting surface adapted to raise a loadpositioned on said surface a predetermined amount, said lifting meansbeing actuated by a depressible foot pedal carried by a linkage, saidfoot pedal and said lifting means being nonrotatable about a verticalaxis, said foot pedal extending out of the bottom portion of one end ofsaid cart; a connecting link extending out of the other end of saidcart, opposite said foot pedal, said connecting link being rotatableabout substantially vertical axis, said connecting link and said footpedal having releasable interengaging means on the ends thereof so thatsaid connecting link of one cart can be releasably engaged by said footpedal of another cart to make a trainlike arrangement.

8. A unit load handling device according to claim 7 wherein said link isrotatable about said vertical axis so as to be positioned beneath saidcart structure when not in use.

said link is attached to said foot pedal through a vertically extendingpin and said pin has spring means between the end thereof and said frameto permit a small degree of vertical movement of said link relative tosaid frame to compensate for floor unevenness when said carts areconnected.

10. A unit load handling device according to claim 7 wherein said footpedal comprises an inverted U-shaped shell with a locking linkagerotatably supported therein, said locking linkage having an end whichnormally abuts against the top under side of said inverted U-shapedshell; said connecting link has a hook portion on the under side of theengaging end thereof, said hook is adapted to fit between the upperunder side of said inverted U-shaped portion, said hook'being 13x3UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,550,908 Dated December 29, 1970 Inventor(s) Robert L. Propst and James0. Kelley It is certified that error appears in the above-identifiedpatent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4, line 44;

"said storage unit upwardly" should be said unit load upwardly Signedand sealed this 25th day oi January 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

ROBERT GOTTSCHALK EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer

